Good morning and welcome to The Downshift, or TDS for short.
Tight, light, and dense, TDS gathers the latest automotive headlines from around the globe and places them in one spot. Stories are summarized in a single sentence accompanied by a link for those seeking more information.
I’m back in the TDS driver’s seat, the first cup of coffee is gone, and it’s time for a second. Let’s get into it.
🚘 What I’m driving: Spending time with the 2026 Subaru Crosstrek Hybrid this week and it’s immediately proving to be the most efficient, quickest, quietest, and most refined version of the pint-sized hatchback on stilts in history. I kind of dig it.
😳 Honda CEO and President Toshihiro Mibe traveled to China and toured an auto supplier factory in Shanghai only to leave and say, “we have no chance against this” as the executive realized how advanced the competition has become; this comes just weeks after Honda killed its upcoming 0 Series EVs, which were set to start rolling off the assembly line in Ohio this year.
😬 Edmunds tested the Geely Galaxy M9 and said the plug-in hybrid SUV proves Chinese cars could be seriously competitive in America.
🙅♂️ Three democratic senators including Tammy Baldwin, Elissa Slotkin, and Chuck Schumer all urged President Trump and his administration to ensure vehicles built by Chinese automakers in Mexico or Canada are barred from entering the U.S. market.
🕵️♀️ The NHTSA ended its investigation into Tesla’s summon feature.
🏢 It’s the end of an era as GM removed its brand logos from Detroit’s RenCen.
👀 Porsche teased a new “pure driving” 911 variant that is said to debut on April 14.
📺 Mazda is now defending its screen-heavy approach and claims “the focus remains on driving” despite a 26-inch touchscreen in a new CX-6e model destined for Europe.
📈 Tesla grabbed its sales crown back as the world’s top EV producer after BYD’s sales plummeted 25%.
🔋 The Rivian R2’s EPA numbers are in and it goes the distance with 335 miles of range and better efficiency than the Tesla Model Y.
🔊 Mercedes-Benz has said it doesn’t want its new electric AMG to feel like an EV.
🚨 Ford recalled 422,613 vehicles due to windshield wiper failure.
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